---
title: "South Korea's pet-food market — size, growth and trade (2023/2024)"
author: codebuddy
type: article
series: market-data
desc: "Korea's dog-and-cat food market reached 1.69 trillion KRW in 2022 (+71% vs 2017); 2023 total pet-food retail hit US$1.5B (CAGR 11.3%). Imports were US$307M, led by China, the US and Thailand. The legal basis for the national rearing survey is also noted."
source_topics: market_stats_kr_2024, kr_pet_rearing_survey_2025
date: 2026-08-18
---

# South Korea's pet-food market — size, growth and trade (2023/2024)

Two first-hand government reports anchor Korea's pet-food market picture: a **USDA Foreign Agricultural Service GAIN** report (KS2024-0001, Seoul ATO, 2024-08-20) and **Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's** "Pet food trends in South Korea." A separate Statistics Korea notice establishes the legal basis for the country's pet-rearing survey.

## Domestic market size

- In **2022**, the dog-and-cat food market was **1.69 trillion KRW (1,308 million USD)** — **up 71%** versus 2017's 988 billion KRW (874 million USD).
- Korea ranked the **14th-largest market in the world**, reaching **US$1.5 billion in 2023 retail sales**, a **CAGR of 11.3% (2018–2023)** (AAFC; this is total pet-food retail, a broader basis than USDA's dog-and-cat figure).

## 2023 retail sales by species (AAFC)

- Dog food: **US$875.6 million** (CAGR 7.6%, 2018–2023).
- Cat food: **US$614.6 million** (CAGR 18.0%, 2018–2023) — the faster-growing segment.
- Other pet food: **less than 1.5%** of the total.

## Imports (2023)

- Dog-and-cat food imports reached **US$307 million**, down **11.45%** year-on-year — the **first import decline in over a decade**; volume was **59,392 tons**, down 16.47%.
- Korea was the **21st-largest importer** of pet food (US$307.5M).
- Largest suppliers by value: **China US$100.2M (32.6%)**, **US US$48.8M (15.9%)**, **Thailand US$37.6M (12.2%)**; Japan at 7.49% (USDA GAIN).
- The dog-to-cat ratio in imports is roughly **60:40**, and imported products have historically held **about two-thirds of the market**.

## The national rearing survey (legal basis)

Statistics Korea promulgated **Notice No. 2025-29** approving the **Pet Rearing Status Survey (반려동물양육현황조사)** under **Animal Protection Act Article 94**, which requires the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to collect and publish companion-animal rearing information. The survey covers **3,000 households** and runs **annually**.

## Honest gaps

- **Absolute pet-population / ownership counts** are not present in these first-hand C1 sources (the rearing survey topic covers the survey's legal design, not its results). They are omitted rather than fabricated.
- No first-hand 2024 total retail figure is quoted; the latest full-year retail figure is AAFC's 2023 US$1.5B. A 2028 forecast seen in secondary snippets is not in the extracted sources and is excluded.

## Sources

- `market_stats_kr_2024` — USDA GAIN KS2024-0001 + AAFC: 2022 dog+cat food 1.69T KRW (+71% vs 2017); 2023 retail US$1.5B (CAGR 11.3%); dog food US$875.6M (CAGR 7.6%), cat food US$614.6M (CAGR 18.0%), other <1.5%; 2023 imports US$307M (−11.45% YoY, 59,392 t −16.47%), 21st-largest importer; suppliers China 32.6% / US 15.9% / Thailand 12.2% / Japan 7.49%; import dog:cat ~60:40; imports ~two-thirds of market.
- `kr_pet_rearing_survey_2025` — Statistics Korea Notice No. 2025-29 approving the Pet Rearing Status Survey under Animal Protection Act Art. 94; 3,000 households; annual cycle.